he kept an eye on the door/and his back to the wall

[princeinexile]

Zuko didn't pack. There was nothing to take into his world, nothing he took from Milliways across the land, except for the chain around his neck, with his ring and his dog's charm. (Both gifts from Hephaestos).

He was in his old clothes, sighing a little at his dusty hat. Today was the day; the morning, really. Steph had taken the dogs out (he didn't want them trying to come through the door) and he was -- ready to go. There was no more waiting, no more denying-- the sickness in his skin was a recall, a demand, a command-- who was he to deny the world of his birth?

Still, he lingered a little, brushing fingers over his tools, Steph's jacket drapped over the back of a chair, and then found the little, knitted turtleduck, done in flame-hued yarn where it's fallen from his robes the night before. He smirked a little at it-- and then went for the door, turning it over in his fingers.

He had places to go.

Comments

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Everyone has places to go. And sometimes, those places change without warning.

Katara hadn't meant to come back to the Bar - not like this, not so close to the end. She'd gone back and they'd reached Ba Sing Sei, battled the Dai Lee, found Appa, convinced the Earth King, split up... She was on her way out to meet with the Earth generals, to discuss tactics, but when she'd opened the door, she hadn't been greeted with a war room.

Just a bar, far too familiar, with too little gold and green.

But if she was going to be here a while... there were people to see.

Not Zuko, of course, but the girl he lives with - this is why Katara stands in front of the door when he opens it, blinking with her hand raised to knock.

"...Hi."

[princeinexile]

Zuko blinks; he's standing there with a knitted turtleduck in his hand, looking way too thoughtful to be healthy, and then sighs, and reaches up to tuck the turleduck into his robes.

"Steph's not here. She's on shift down in the bar," he says, trying not to growl at her.

Trying.

Failing, but trying!

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Well, at least he tried, right? Don't get defensive, not when he's trying. Steph wouldn't like it.

Katara doesn't growl - she just glares a little.

"...Okay. Thanks."

That was why she was here, after all, just to see Steph. Not to see to Zuko or ask about his uncle or where they'd gotten to or why he looks overly thoughtful or-- any of it.

[princeinexile]

"I'm-- leaving. Are you going to keep standing in the doorway?" Zuko asked, and his tone was tight and terse.

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

"No, I--" This does not help the glare, Zuko, not at all. But Katara does step back and turn away, a hand waved, dismissive and irritated.

He wouldn't tell her about his uncle, even if she asked - so why bother? He wouldn't let her help either.

"I'm going."

[princeinexile]

"...did you have something to say?" Zuko snaps-- and then has to count to ten. Oh, he loved these meetings. At least Toph he could just stare at and marvel a bit.

This... Bleh!

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Katara is just as impressive as Toph! He could marvel at her, too, if he could remove his head from certain orifices long enough to do it!

Turning around when he snaps, Katara glares, fists balling at her sides and attempts counting to ten as well.

She only gets to three.

"I just-- Have you gone back yet?"

Before she demands to know if his uncle is alive.

[princeinexile]

"No," Zuko admits. "Though-- That's where I'm headed."

Back.

To be a pain in your ass.

"I take it-- you haven't-- seen me since-- whatever this is with--" With my uncle, the only family I have in the world who doesn't screw me over, "--with uncle is."

The thought occurs to him: he has not seen his uncle in the bar in some time. They keep asking if his uncle is dead. Perhaps... he ought to worry more. Especially-- if they haven't seen him since.

"H--how long has it been since-- you saw us? Since this-- wounding--" For it is not fatal, no, it can't be.

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Few things can make Katara honestly admit to a mistake, or discomfort made by her own hands. Someone, anyone looking at her in a wounded fashion and asking her to explain the near-semi-possibly-fatal wounding of a loved one, is the most powerful of those few things.

This is the only reason why she is speechless for a moment or two before letting her gaze drop to the side, crossing her arms over her chest and shrugging.

"...A couple of weeks. We haven't seen you, but we've seen your sister plenty. I just stumbled back in and... it's been a while since we saw her, too."

[princeinexile]

"Well, then. Maybe your luck changed."

Maybe he's dead; that's about the only thing he can think of that'd get Zuko off their trail. He's not-- sure he could go forward with anything, if-- if Iroh died.... Especially not in the pursuit of Zuko's goals.

Not that Katara's going to like it put that way. But Zuko doesn't care. It's just Katara. He says awful things to her on a daily basis. One day, she'll do the same.

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Not if he keeps making the hurt-puppy face every time his uncle is mentioned, though. That will curb the hateful things.

The ones she says outloud, at least.

But Katara's thinking of an Earth King's belief and getting Appa back and Toph's mother wanting to see her, Aang finding a new teacher, Sokka going off to see their father, her own appointment with the generals she was going to be so late for...

Her shoulders square, even if she doesn't look any less concerned.

"Maybe it has."

[princeinexile]

Zuko's eyes narrow a fraction; hrmph. Maybe it has.

It makes it all the more important go through the door.

"Don't say those sorts of things to Steph if you want to stay friends," he says, and then goes past her.

Dead man -- or uncleless nephew, maybe-- walking.

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

Oh, look - another one of those things that makes Katara swallow her foot. Or at least introduce her palm to her face.

"Wait-- Zuko, I didn't mean-- I don't mean it like that." She turns to follow him, but doesn't touch, knows better than to reach for him.

And honestly, doesn't want to.

"That's not what I mean at all, all right? What luck we are or aren't having - it's nothing to do with you or your uncle."

[princeinexile]

"Isn't it? It would get me off your back," he says with a curl of his lip, glancing back. "Maybe you ought to hope for it. Or-- would that be too Fire Nation for you?"

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

"Yes, it would!"

From the way Katara pauses in following him and her palm loudly meets her face again, she's starting to wish her shoes were a little more tasty, spending all that time in her mouth like that.

"Look-- I just mean, that-- yes, you make things difficult for us, but I don't want anything bad to happen to your uncle, all right? Why else would I have--"

But he's not supposed to know about that, right? And he hadn't cared when she offered in the first place, so why even offer him the information now?

"Of-- just forget it! Go back and find out, then!"

[princeinexile]

"I will," Zuko says tersely.

A beat, and then he doesnt-- ask for a favor, so much as give an order, "Be good to Stephanie while I'm gone."

She needs a friend, especially when Zuko's away.

[allican-do.livejournal.com]

"...Just come back soon."

It was bad enough, seeing a friend in pain. Even worse when that friend's pain could only be soothed by a bastard like Zuko.

Arms crossed, she stops in the hall and lets him go, leaning to bump heavily into the wall with her shoulder and huffing out an irritated breath.

"."